thank you so much for your emails this week. all of you really have helped me change my perspective on my mission. It’s a given that we will all have our ups and our downs in the mission and in our lives, but i am going to have more ups than downs now!
this week again wasn’t very successful in the aspect of investigators. we didn’t have any in church... that was pretty depressing. we also have the list of in actives that we go and visit. this week we found two that did not want ANYTHING to do with the church. it was really sad.. they said they wanted to be taken off the roll and for us to never come back again. At least we tried, but it is just so sad that they are missing out on the blessings the gospel brings. it makes you wonder what made them fall away..
oh and i spoke this week. thanks to the help of one of the recent converts that’s fluent in English, he helped me translate the cigarette story (the one he used in his “mission” farewell talk). i then added the rest. i spoke about how we are all examples. we all have wonderful opportunities to share the gospel and sometimes we don’t take advantage of those opportunities. the ward I’m in has been really cold with investigators and i think that’s part of the reason why some have fallen away. in fact, a lot of the people we talk to tell us that is the reason. so that is what we are working on with the ward missionary this week.
but i have been thinking a lot this week about the mission. i have received a lot of answers to my prayers, thanks to you guys, my mission president and the Holy Ghost. the Holy Ghost has really given me comfort and peace this past week. i ‘m a lot more optimistic. i decided that even though these times are hard, i love them because they make me stronger and make me appreciate life and the gospel. i love waking up in the morning shivering and seeing my breathe. i love taking a semi warm shower and then sitting in front of our space heater to get my body temperature back to normal. i love getting dressed and getting back in to those soaking wet shoes that haven’t dried from the night before. i love going out in the rain every day, walking caleta (a ton), knocking door to door and hearing “es que no tengo tiempo ahora”. i love ringing the door bell when it’s my turn to contact and totally getting a mind blank…then having the person stare at me awkwardly. i love, LOVE introducing myself as elder jackson, when they start smiling and say como michael jackson??! i love talking to people and having no FREAKING idea what they’re saying and replying with a smile “si” and them saying “el no cacha nada” and getting laughed at. i love having the same lunch at the hermanas house, a chicken leg and two scoops of rice with NO flavor.(haha... not every lunch, although it is a lot of our lunches... but there is always, alas the tomatoes... which i like now. yeah, be surprised... and the lettuce too.) i love living with a random latino 24/ 7 who pushes every SINGLE one of my buttons. i love these things because they are making me stronger. i am doing the work for our Savior. i know that i will never get this opportunity again, so why not enjoy it?
i have a strong testimony that our Savior loves us. He gives us weaknesses and trials to make us stronger. He answers every one of our prayers in different ways. thank you all for your examples, for your prayers and support. have a great week!
oh and i haven’t gotten my water boots… i will get them this week i hope! still haven’t gotten the packages either. i told Hermana Swenson and she said she hasn’t had that happen very often, so i need to call her to see if she found out anything. To answer your questions… the sun sets at about 5 ish right now. AND… MARISOL IS GETTING BAPTISED! i might get to baptize her too!
i am really craving American candy. i hope it gets here!
love,
elder “Michael” jackson
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